(CNS): Errington Webster (55), who was convicted last June of sexually abusing a child, has still shown no remorse for his offending and continues to blame others, including the girl he groomed, for his predicament, the crown told the court Wednesday. Webster was back in the Grand Court dock for a sentencing hearing relating to the convictions for indecent assault and gross indecency — offences he still denies, despite the infamous video evidence which showed him masturbating in a car with his teenage victim.

As prosecutor Darlene Oko laid out the aggravating factors in the case, the relevant sentencing guidelines and previous authorities on the offences, she said that during his interview with probation officers Webster had described his teenage victim as “the little girl that came up with the lies” about him, and suggested only the “almighty could deal with her conscience”.

He also blamed his defence attorney, Steve McField, as well the jury, which he said was influenced by the media coverage, and the criminal justice system as a whole for his conviction, as he continued to claim he could never commit such nefarious acts.

However, the jury had returned unanimous verdicts on all four counts after trial, in which he had taken the stand to answer the charges and evidence presented from the child involved, as well as the damning video evidence. Oko told the court that Webster had come up with a “menu of blame… but has not taken any responsibility for his actions”.

Oko said the case was aggravated by his targeted grooming and constant texting and calling to the teenager, the offers of inducement and promises to take care of her, as he manipulated the girl he had known since she was just 11 years old.

The only mitigating factor she pointed to was that Webster had no previous convictions, but she noted that while it was possible to imagine more serious sexual assaults than in this case, it was still a very serious crime.

Oko said that the young girl had been described by social workers as strong but still traumatised by the offending, and she urged the court to impose a significant custodial sentence on Webster.

The prosecutor also asked for a sexual harm prevention order to be imposed on Webster once he has served whatever sentence the court imposes because, given his refusal to take responsibility for his crimes, he was unlikely to be rehabilitated on release.

“If ever there was a case when such an order should be made, it is this one,” she stated, adding that given Webster’s refusal to accept that he is a sexual offender, the community needs to be protected.

Speaking on behalf of Webster, attorney Jonathon Hughes, who took over his defence after he and McField parted ways, said he was of previous good character and the social inquiry report had indicated he was at low risk of re-offending.

Hughes also submitted a number of character witnesses to the court about Webster and spoke of the negative impact the case has had on his own family, who have all stuck by the former fire fighter and would-be politician. Hughes spoke about his community work and how shocked people had been when they learned of the charges.

The defence lawyer also argued that, given his solid background and the findings that he was at low risk, the court had no need to curtail his liberty after release with a sexual harm order. He further noted that the new legislation providing for such an order had been implemented after Webster had committed his offence and it was not retrospective. The crown had argued that the order is protective rather than punitive, and could therefore be lawfully imposed.

Justice Charles Quin, who had presided over the trial and heard the sentencing submissions, said he would deliver his ruling next Tuesday.

Comments (28)

I think it would have been better for him if he had accepted the fact that his behavior was deplorable and throw himself on the mercy of the court.
How would he feel if it was his own daughter.
The sentence needs to send a clear message to discourage others who might entertain engaging in this type of nasty behavior.

He knew what he was doing and undoubtedly had been doing it for a long time until he was finally caught. He is not sorry for what he did, just sorry he got caught. It is amazing that his wife fully supports him despite the mounting evidence that he was convicted on. I appreciate that she was not the one on trial, but I cannot help but wonder if she supports the fact that it was brought out in the court that he was grooming a young girl? When a man starts giving a young girl expensive gifts like phones, clothes and money for no special reason, it could be seen that he is grooming her. Disgusting behavior.

He was bailed so he could attend his Bodden Town Church on Sundays. I wonder how they feel about having a convicted molester in their midst, or is that normalized behavior as well? Without any semblance of contrition, no amount of prayer will admit his soul to where he’d prefer to go.

I wonder which Bodden Town church?
People say he isn’t going to the one he used to before he was caught.
So if he was bailed to go to church and he isn’t actually going to church, isn’t that a breach of his bail?

What is sickening is him calling on God saying that the almighty is going to deal with the girl.

He was caught on video!!!
He doesn’t think God is going to deal with him too?
Maybe his defense to God will be, “Lord you know I took my medication and grapefruit juice and that mess up my head so it wasn’t me doing those things”

He has always proclaimed to be a God-fearing Christian, an upstanding man in his community but in the end he is still just a man who make his flesh take control of him.

Why doesn’t he just come clean and admit he screwed up. Christians are not perfect, they make mistakes too.

I know he just feel ashamed. He has a wife, children and grandchildren so he think it difficult to admit to ,not an affair with an adult, but a heinous act with a child but there is no gray area here,
there is no assumption of innocence, there is no “he said, she said”, he is on video!!!

Remind me again about “Cayman’s traditional Christian family values” that need preserving
Remind me again about how morally superior we are compared to the rest of the secular world
Remind me of all the great moral leadership the churches provide to the masses

And still his reprehension continues. It is beyond comprehension how effing nasty and disgusting some people are. I get the old man wanting the young girl behavior but good lord in heaven she was a teen and very well good have been his granddaughter. Good gosh with the so many nationalities around this island i hate to believe for one second who couldnt find a legal aged adult woman to jack off in front of. It makes my blood curl thinking about what he may have already done and gotten away with. Nasty vile disgusting excuse of a man. The grape fruit juice was the funniest part i had to lol at that one see that shows how comfortable he was doing it, he didnt even think he would be found out had he thought he would have surely he would have came up with something more plausible. I thought i heard it all when the fireman said it was buju driving a man that he didnt know, then i heard this sicko blaming grapefruit juice I damn near lost lmao. Almost myself got reprimanded for rotflmao at this idiot.

To be accurate, he didn’t deny the bit that was videoed, but said he was not conscious of doing it and must have been under the influence of medication at the time or in some kind of dissociative state (and therefore not liable for his actions). He did deny the other charges of indecent assault. Not surprisingly the jury didn’t believe him on either!

Yep, everyone else to blame…common theme here. Man up people, take responsibility for your own actions. They all have consequences. You just need to think about the consequences before doing stupid/illegal/hideous things.